Bundle up for last-chance lake cruises

November 19, 2009|By Chris LaMorte, Special to the Tribune

You've been inspired by the heroics on "The Deadliest Catch," the Discovery Channel series on which indomitable fishermen battle frigid Alaskan waters to bring you the freshest king crab legs your drawn butter can handle. But instead of the Bering Sea, you've got Lake Michigan and the Chicago River to conquer. And while you won't be hauling crabs, you can reel in a pretty tasty Irish coffee. We admire your courage, anyway.

A good place to start is aboard Chicago's First Lady (southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive; 847-358-1330, cruisechicago.com) with the 90-minute Festival of Lights tour on Saturday ($32, 4 p.m.). On Sunday, the First Lady shoves off for the last time until May with a 90-minute architecture tour that offers someone from the Chicago Architecture Foundation describing the river skyline to you ($32, 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m.). You can stay in the enclosed salon of the boat or, for a better view, brave the elements on the upper deck. Though owner Holly Agra warns, "It can get a little nippy up there." Better take hot buttered rum up from the cash bar for protection.

Wendella Boats (400 N. Michigan Ave., 312-337-1446, wendellaboats .com) also will be running a Festival of Lights tour on Saturday (5:30 to 7 p.m.; $30; reservations recommended), but if you'd like to wait until the real chill of December hits, sign up for the Holiday Wine and Waves Tour ($59, Dec. 5, 3 p.m.). This two-hour river tour combines Chicago skyline's greatest hits with experts from Kafka Wine (3325 N. Halsted St., 773-975-9463) helping you select the right bottle of holiday cheer, with plenty of sampling.

Finally, Entertainment Cruises (entertainmentcruises.com) has three boats leaving for dinner cruises on the lake Dec. 5 at 7:30 (ask about the Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve cruises as well). The Spirit of Chicago (starting at $72.90, 866-211-3804) and the Mystic Blue (starting at $54.90, 877-299-7854) will offer buffet-style dinner, DJs and dancing. The Odyssey ($89.90, 866-305-2469), Entertainment's flagship, offers an elegant jazz trio and an epic meal of almond-crusted chicken, hand-carved smoked prime rib, pasta and vegetarian options, and crab served in convenient puff-pastry form.